State School Board members are scheduled to interview the finalists Thursday and vote to name a new State Superintendent on Friday.

Most seem to think Pouncey has the inside track here because of his close ties within the education establishment. His ongoing lawsuit against board member Mary Scott Hunter does make it a little awkward, though.

Some are saying Kathy Murphy from Hoover has a good shot, too.

Elephant in the room

Looming over this decision is the ongoing mess in Montgomery. Whomever becomes state superintendent will inherit a state intervention in Montgomery schools that by all accounts isn’t going well.

Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson acknowledged that the Montgomery situation probably kept some quality candidates from applying for the state’s top education job.

When I asked Gov. Kay Ivey whether Montgomery would dominate the interview process, she reminded me that board members have already submitted their interview questions.

Board Member Stephanie Bell, who represents a portion of Montgomery, said asking candidates about the troubled system would be one of her priorities in the interview process.

Comey’s accusations aren’t subtle or really even coded. It’s a hugely significant story for the former Director of the FBI to say the Russians might have compromising information on the President of the United States.

Here’s the thing: Comey got fired. I know he isn’t trying to, but much of what he writes and says comes across as bitter and self-righteous.

Even if he’s right, Comey’s tone and attitude make him an easy target for those seeking to discredit him.

Also, I’m old enough to remember when Comey was persona non grata among liberals for confirming that Hillary Clinton was under FBI investigation in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election.

5. News briefs.

After ordering missile attacks against the chemical weapons facilities of Syrian dictator Basha al-Assad, President Donald Trump now appears ready to levy new sanctions against Russia for enabling the Syrian regime. Good. Read more HERE.

R. Lee Ermey, who famously portrayed the Marine Corps drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket, has died. Read more HERE.

Dave Matthews Band, Common, Usher and several more famous performers are set to play Montgomery’s Riverwalk Amphitheater next weekend to mark the opening of the Equal Justice Initiative’s lynching museum. Read more HERE.

The Supreme Court is finally set to revisit a 1992 ruling that allowed online retailers like Amazon to largely avoid paying sales taxes. The lost revenue is a huge problem for state and local governments, which is why Alabama enacted a system to make sure some of that sales tax is paid. Read more HERE.